Locomotive information recorder

ABSTRACT

A permanent record is made of the speed of a locomotive on a linear basis proportional to distance travelled. The record paper drive and the speed indicator drive are derived from a common signal whose frequency and amplitude are proportional to vehicle speed. The mechanism is mounted in a housing having a door. Opening the door interrupts the paper take-up drive while a separate hand operated device, when actuated, restores the takeup drive while terminating the paper speed drive.

United States Patent [191 McCue et a1.

[451 Jan. 15, 1974 LOCOMOTIVE INFORMATION RECORDER Inventors: David D.McCue; Thomas A.

Brendle, both of Hamburg, N.Y.

Assignee: Aeroquip Corporation, Jackson,

Mich.

Filed: Dec. 4, 1967 Appl. N0.: 687,589

US. Cl 346/33 D, 346/118, 346/136 Int. Cl. G0ld 9/38 Field of Search346/49, 118, 136,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1943 Wait 246/185 1/1965Zagorites et a1. i. 1/1922 Mosley 346/80 X 2,148,188 2/1939 Chappell eta1 346/136 2,153,317 4/1939 Sigo 346/49 UX 2,342,687 2/1944 Parrish i346/118 3,017,770 1/1962 Green 346/115 X Primary Examiner.loseph W.l-lartary Att0rneyBean and Bean [5 7 ABSTRACT A permanent record is madeof the speed of a locomotive on a linear basis proportional to distancetravelled. The record paper drive and the speed indicator drive arederived from a common signal whose frequency and amplitude areproportional to vehicle speed. The mechanism is mounted in a housinghaving a door. Opening the door interrupts the paper take-up drive whilea separate hand operated device, when actuated, restores the take-updrive while terminating the paper speed drive.

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SHEET 6 OF 6 lllll lll c ooooogooofooooaoduoooo00000 LOCOMOTIVEINFORMATION RECORDER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the railroadindustry, it is frequently desirable to determine various facts relativeto the operation of a locomotive with respect to its particular positionat the moment. For example, the speed of the locomotive, the applicationand release of brakes and various other events desirably would berecorded in such fashion that the location and, in some cases, themagnitude of these events could be determined. The electrical system ofthis invention is disclosed in our copending application filedconcurrently herewith and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,441,943, Apr. 29, 1969.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present invention, transducermeans provides an output proportional to vehicle speed which outputcontrols a record paper drive so that record paper movement reflects theinstantaneous position, from some predetermined starting point, of thelocomotive. A recording device is also connected to the output of thetransducer to provide a record on the paper of the instantaneous speedof the locomotive. Additional recording devices may be operated toindicate the point at which various other events incidental to theoperation of the locomotive have occurred, such as brake application,brake release, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic assembly viewillustrating the various components of the present system;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section taken through the locomotivewheel speed pick-off;

FIG. 3 is a view of the pick-off taken substantially along the plane ofsection line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken through the paper record assembly;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the plane ofsection line 5-5 in FIG. 4 and showing certain details of the paperdrive mechanism and of the stylus mechanism;

FIG. 6 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the plane ofsection line 6-6 of FIG. 4 showing further details of the stylusmechanism;

FIG. 7 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the plane ofsection line 7-7 of FIG. 4 showing further details of the paper drive;

FIG. 8 is a vertical section taken substantially along the plane ofsection line 8-8 in FIG. 4 showing further details of the stylus andpaper drive and illustrating also means by which further styluses may bemounted;

FIG. 9 is a vertical section taken substantially along the plane ofsection line 9-9 in FIG. 4 illustrating details of a stylus feedmechanism;

- FIG. 10 is a plan view of the record device illustrating same inaccess position;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged partial section illustrating relative dispositionbetween the stylus mounting and the paper mechanism;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged vertical section taken through the stylusmounting assembly and illustrating the manner in which additional eventsmay be recorded;

FIG. 13 is an end view of the assembly shown in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged vertical section taken through the paper supplyroll;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged horizontal section taken along the plane ofsection line l5l5 in FIG. 14 and illustrating the clutch mechanism;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged vertical section taken through a portion of thepaper drive roll; and

FIG. 17 is a view of a recording paper assembly and diagrammaticallyillustrating a plurality of styluses.

which may be associated therewith.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now more particularly to FIG. I, alocomotive truck 10 is indicated in phantom lines and one of itssupporting wheels is indicated by the reference character 12. Associatedwith this wheel 12 as will be more clearly apparent hereinafter, is aspeed pick-off device indicated generally by the reference character 14which supplies an A.C. signal through a suitable cable 16 to the unit18. The A.C. signal is of a frequency and amplitude proportional tovehicle speed and the unit 18 includes mechanism for converting thisA.C. signal to a direct current signal which is applied through cable 20to a speedometer 22 and the unit 18 also controls the recording unit 24in such fashion as to drive the paper record therein at a rateproportional to vehicular speed and also to actuate a stylus inproportion to the vehicular speed so as to provide a visual record onthe paper. Since the paper is travelling at a rate proportional tovehicular speed, the stylus record may be interpreted in terms ofdistance travelled so that the speed of the locomotive at any positionalong the track can be determined by reading the paper record. Therecord paper drive and vehicular speed stylus drive are supplied bysignals passing through the cable 26.

The pick-off assembly 14 can be seen best in FIGS. 2 and 3. As shown inFIG. 2, the locomotive wheel 12 is provided with a drive member 28 whichreceives a splined stub shaft 30 connected by means of a drive cable 32to a spindle 34. The spindle 34 is carried by a housing 36 as by meansof suitable bearings 38 and has affixed thereto a sending head 40. Thesending head may be in the form of a gear having, as shown in FIG. 3, anumber of teeth 42, and a magnetic pick-up head 44 is supported in thehousing 36 in close adjacency to the teeth 42 so that as the sendinghead 40 is rotated, the teeth 42 thereof pass successively in closeproximity to the magnetic pick-up member 46 so as to induce a variablecurrent therein whose frequency is, of course, directly related to therotational speed of the sending head 40 and hence of the rotationalspeed of the locomotive wheel 12. Suitable mountings for the cable 16are provided by the cover 48 for the housing 36.

The pick-up head 44 and its details of construction form no part of thepresent invention. The head, however, is suitably mounted in a saddleportion of the web 50 integral with the housing 36 and lock-nut members52 serve to retain the head 44 in proper position. As can be seen bestin FIG. 2, conductors 54 and 56 from the head 44 lead to and areconnected with a suitable coupling device 58 which mates with a furtherconnector 60 in electrical contact therewith when the cover 48 issecured to the housing main body 36 and further conductors 62 lead fromthe connector 60 for disposition within the cable 16 previouslymentioned through an elbow 64 or the like, substantially as is shown.

The details of. the converting unit 18 likewise form no part of thepresent invention. Suffice it to say that the unit 18 is capable ofconverting the variable frequency and amplitude signal produced by thehead 44 to signals transmitted through the previously mentioned cable 26to the recording unit 24 and over the cable to the speedometer or speedindicating device 22. The unit 18, further, may receive additionalsignals as over a cable 66 as shown in FIG. 1 which applies signalsthrough the cable 26 for making additional records as will be morereadily apparent hereinafter. In addition to the above functions, theunit 18 includes the electrical mechanism controlled by the two knobs 68and 70, one of which functions to accommodate for variations in thediameter of the wheel 12 which drives the member and the other of whichfunctions to produce a signal in the event that the locomotive exceeds acertain predetermined speed. These knobs 68 and 70 are adjustable andwhen properly adjusted, are suitably locked as by the member 72 whichmay be provided with a seal 74 to prevent tampering.

Of principal concern herein is the unit 24 which, as can be seen bestfrom FIGS. 4-10, consists of a housing 18 provided with a door or cover82 having a window 84 therein, see also FIG. 1.

The door 82 is mounted by hinge means 86 to the body and is adapted tobe swung outwardly therefrom in the fashion indicated best in FIG. 10.As can be seen in FIG. 6, the essential component parts within the unit24 consist of a take-up drum 88, a drive drum 90,

a paper supply spindle 92 and thestylus assembly indicated generally bythe reference character 94. The recording paper 96 is engaged upon thedrum 98 of the take-up 88 by means of a C-shaped collar 100, the drum 98being driven by the shaft 102 as will be more readily apparenthereinafter. The paper roll supply 104 is mounted on the stationaryspindle 92 and issues therefrom to pass over the drive drum 106 whenceit passes in front of the plate 108, over a guide spindle 110 forreception upon the take-up assembly 88 substantially as is shown. Theseentities are all mounted on a common support assembly which, as shown inFIG. 4, consist of the upper and intermediate plates 112 and 114respectively interconnected by the aforementioned vertical plate 108 andthis support assembly also includes the lower plate 116 fixed to theintermediate plate 114 and by the member 118. This entire unit ispivotally mounted on the door assembly 82 and, for this purpose, thereis provided an upper pintle 120 associated with the upper plate 112 andthe lower pintle 122 associated with the intermediate and lower plates114 and 116, substantially as is shown and these pintles are received bymounting bracket assemblies 124 and 126 secured to the door 82. Thus,the door may be swung open as shown in FIG. 10 and the support unit withentities attached thereto may be swung pivotally away from the door asis shown in phantom lines in FIG. 10.

The lower plate 116 mounts a take-up motor 130 in depending relationthereto, a drive motor 132 and also mounts a bracket 134 upon which themicroswitch 136 is mounted, the purpose of which will be presentlyapparent.

The stepping drive motor 132 includes a drive shaft 140 projectingthrough the lower plate 116 and carrying a pinion 142 thereon. Thispinion 142 is in mesh with a gear 144 carried by a shaft 146 mounted onthe plate 116 and a further gear reduction is achieved through thepinion 148 on the shaft 146 in mesh with the gear 150 on the shaft 152also carried by the plate 116. A final gear reduction is establishedbetween the pinion 154 and the gear 156, the gear 154 being mounted incommon with the gear 150 and the gear 156 being mounted on the driveshaft 184. The stepping motor 132 is intermittently driven in accordwith the distance travelled by the locomotive as obtained by the signalfrom the pick-up head 44 and converted in the unit 18 to suitable pulsesindicative of the distance travelled. The drive drum 106 therefore isdriven in step-by-step fashion and in order to accurately control themovement of the record paper 96, a pin wheel drive element is provided,see particularly FIG. 14. The take-up motor 130 is constantly energizedwhen the device is operating so as to maintain the record paper tautbetween the paper drive drum 106 and the take-up spindle but, as willhereinafter appear, take-up action is interrupted when the door of theunit is opened and may be energized selectively for removing the record.

FIG. 14 also illustrates the manner in which drive is transmitted to thepin wheel 170 and the drum 106. The clutch control shaft 158 is slidablein the tubular drive shaft 184 and is provided with a tapered portion172 adjacent its upper end, the upper extremity 174 of the shaft 158having an enlarged head portion 176 which is seated upon the compressionspring 178 bearing at its lower end against the collar 180 received inthe pin wheel 170. By virtue of the action of the spring 178, the shaft158 is constantly urged upwardly so that the tapered portion 172 thereofbears against the ball members 182 (see also FIG. 15) which are caged insuitable openings in the tube 184 and normally seat tightly within therecesses 186 of the drive collar 188. Thus, a firm connection isnormally established between the drive shaft 184 and the drum 106 butthis drive may be disabled by manually depressing the enlarged head 176as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 14 to thus slightly shift the shaft158 downwardly and this action also operates the microswitch 136. Themicroswitch 136 energizes the take-up motor 130 so that, in thisfashion, the record paper may be released from control by the gear trainand freely flows to the take-up spindle enabling the record under thestylus to be moved to the take-up spindle for removal. In FIG. 4, switch130A deenergizes take-up motor 130 when door 82 is opened. This permitsthe record to be removed from the drum 98 so that fresh paper may beclamped onto the drum 98 via clamp 100.

The drive to the takeup assembly 88 and more especially to the drum 98thereof, is shown best in FIG. 16. As illustrated, the motor 130 ismounted by a suitable flange 190 on the underside of the plate 116 andits drive shaft 192 is coupled to the take-up drive shaft 102. Theseshafts are rotatably supported in the plates 1 14 and 116 by bearings194 and 196 having a suitable spacer 198 associated therewith.

The stylus assembly is attached directly to the rear side of the door 82and includes a frame member 200 as is shown in FIG. 8 attached by framemembers 202 and 204 to the rear side of the door, as aforesaid. Fixedbetween the upper and lower members 202 and 204 is a guide bar 206, seeparticularly FIG. 4 and joumalled between these same members is a leadscrew member 208. A stylus carriage 210 engages the guide bar 206 andthe lead screw 208 and is adapted to be positioned verticallyproportional to the speed of the locomotive. For this purpose, the leadscrew 208 is rotatably driven by a stylus motor 212 in the appropriatedirection dependent upon changes of speed in the locomotive. The leadscrew 208 also has a worm 214 fixed thereto and this worm engages a wormwheel 216 (see particularly FIG. 9) which rotates a potentiometer 218for electrical control purposes which forms no part of the presentinvention. For the sake of convenience, a further potentiometer 220 ismounted adjacent the potentiometer 218 and it, like the potentiometer218, forms no part of the present invention, suffice it to say it formsa portion of the electrical control circuitry for the device.

As can be seen in FIG. 1 l, the speed recording stylus carriage 210includes the plate 222 having a notch 224 receiving the guide rod 206and carrying a plate 226 cooperative with a notch to provide astraddling engagement with the member 206, as shown. A clamping plate228 is attached as by fasteners 230 to the plate 226 and holds thestylus wire 232 in place. The plate 228 also carries a nut 234 which hasscrew-fitted engagement with the lead screw 208. With regard to thisarrangement, it will be noted that the plate 222 has the groove 236therein which receives the lead screw 208 and that the nut 234 bearsagainst the lead screw 208 and retains it in oriented position withinthe groove 236. Thus, by simply removing the clamping plate 228, theentire assembly may be disengaged from both the guide bar 206 and thelead screw 208 and removed for servicing or replacement as desired.

The stylus wire 232 has a looped end portion 240 which bears against thepaper 96 and presses it against the cylinder 106. The paper 96 ispressure-sensitive so as to be marked by the pressure of the stylus loop240. As the paper is moved in accord with the distance travelled by thevehicle and the stylus is vertically positioned with respect to theinstantaneous vehicular speed, the record produced on the paperindicates the vehicular speed at the various positions along its route.

In addition to the speed record, it may be desirable to record theoccurrence of various other events such as the actuation of the sander,application and release of brakes etc. For this reason, provision ismade for the utilization of additional styluses and this takes the formof a mounting plate 250 as is shown in FIG. 8 provided with a series ofopenings 252 which allow for the mounting solenoids 254, seeparticularly FIG. 12, each of which has a reciprocable armature 256connected to an associated stylus 258. Each of the additional styluses258 is mounted in cantilever fashion from a suitable mounting plate 260(see also FIG. 9). The plate 260 is provided with holes 262 throughwhich the various armatures 256 pass and each stylus 258 is providedwith a laterally looped portion 264 to which the respective armature 256is attached. The hole 262 associated with each armature 256 and withrespect to its associated stylus 258 is located above the stylus and theloop 264 of the stylus projects upwardly so that as the armature 256 iswithdrawn by actuation of the solenoid 254 the tip 270 of the styluswill be moved upwardly as is indicated in phantom lines in FIG. 12. Thestyluses 258 are in pressure engagement with the paper 96, pressing itagainst the cylinder 106 so that actuation of the associated solenoid254 as described will cause a vertical line or step to appear in therecord scribed by the associated stylus 258, thus to clearly indicatethe initiation of an event. When the stylus is allowed to swing backdown to its normal position, the termination of the event will berecorded.

We claim:

I. In a recording system for locomotives, in combination,

a record paper system including drive means for moving a record paperlinearly in proportion to the distance travelled by the locomotive,

recording means for producing a visual record upon the record paperindicating the speed of the locomotive,

and transducer means for actuating both said drive means and saidrecording means whereby the distance travelled and locomotive speedrecords cooperatively produced thereby stem from a common signal source,said transducer means having a single output signal proportional tolocomotive speed connected to both said drive means and said recordingmeans, said record paper system comprising a take-up spindle, a supplyspindle and a drive drum between said take-up and supply spindles, allmounted on a common support, a take-up motor normally operating saidtake-up spindle to maintain paper issuing from said supply spindleagainst said drive drum and taut between said take-up spindle and saiddrive drum, said drive means comprising a stepping motor connected tosaid drive drum and connected to said transducer means for allowing thepaper to advance linearly, under the action of said take-up motor, inaccord with the distance travelled by the locomotive.

2. In the recording system as defined in claim 1 wherein said recordingdevice'includes a screw shaft parallel to said drive drum, a nut engagedon said screw, a stylus carried by said nut for engaging record paperpassing over said drive drum, a servo-motor for driving said screw andconnected to the output of said transducer means to locate said nutaccording to locomotive speed.

3. In a recording system for locomotives, in combination,

transducer means having an output proportional to locomotive speed,

a record paper system including a drive motor connected with the outputof said transducer means to move a record paper linearly in proportionto the distance travelled by the locomotive,

a recording device for producing a visual record upon the record paper,said recording device being connected with the output of said transducermeans for recording the speed of the locomotive,

said record paper system comprising a take-up spindle, a supply spindleand a drive drum between said take-up and supply spindles, all mountedon a common support, a take-up motor normally operating said take-upspindle to maintain paper issuing from said supply spindle against saiddrive drum and taut between said take-up spindle and said drive drum,said drive motor being connected to said drive drum and connected tosaid transducer means for allowing the paper to advance linearly, underthe action of said take-up motor, in accord with the distance travelledby the locomotive,

a housing, said common support means being pivotally mounted within saidhousing, a door normally closing said housing and urging said commonsupport to a predetermined position therein, and switch means actuatedby said door for deenergizing said take-up motor when the door is open.

4. In the recording system according to claim 3 including means forsimultaneously interrupting drive between said drive motor and saiddrive drum and energizing said take-up motor when said door is open.

5. In a recording system for locomotives, in combination,

transducer means having an output proportional to locomotive speed,

a record paper system including a drive motor connected with the outputof said transducer means to move a record paper linearly in proportionto the distance travelled by the locomotive,

a recording device for producing a visual record upon the record paper,said recording device being connected with the output of said transducermeans for recording the speed of the locomotive,

said record paper system comprising a take-up spindle, a supply spindleand a drive drum between said take up and supply spindles, all mountedon a common support, a take-up motor normally operating said take-upspindle to maintain paper issuing from said supply spindle against saiddrive drum and taut between said take-up spindle and said drive drum,said drive motor being connected to said drive drum and connected tosaid transducer means for allowing the paper to advance linearly, underthe action of said take-up motor, in accord withthe distance travelledby the locomotive,

said drive motor being connected to a tubular drive shaft, said drivedrum being rotatably mounted concentrically of said drive shaft, aclutch shaft slidably received in said drive shaft and having a taperedportion therewithin, clutch elements carried by said drive shaft in theregion of said tapered portion of the clutch shaft, and spring meansbiasing said clutch shaft to force said clutch elements against saiddrive drum.

6. [n the recording system according to claim 5 in-

1. In a recording system for locomotives, in combination, a record papersystem including drive means for moving a record paper linearly inproportion to the distance travelled by the locomotive, recording meansfor producing a visual record upon the record paper indicating the speedof the locomotive, and transducer means for actuating both said drivemeans and said recording means whereby the distance travelled andlocomotive speed records cooperatively produced thereby stem from acommon signal source, said transducer means having a single outputsignal proportional to locomotive speed connected to both said drivemeans and said recording means, said record paper system comprising atake-up spindle, a supply spindle and a drive drum between said take-upand supply spindles, all mounted on a common support, a take-up motornormally operating said take-up spindle to maintain paper issuing fromsaid supply spindle against said drive drum and taut between saidtake-up spindle and said drive drum, said drive means comprising astepping motor connected to said drive drum and connected to saidtransducer means for allowing the paper to advance linearly, under theaction of said take-up motor, in accord with the distance travelled bythe locomotive.
 2. In the recording system as defined in claim 1 whereinsaid recording device includes a screw shaft parallel to said drivedrum, a nut engaged on said screw, a stylus carried by said nut forengaging record paper passing over said drive drum, a servo-motor fordriving said screw and connected to the output of said transducer meansto locate said nut according to locomotive speed.
 3. In a recordingsystem for locomotives, in combination, transducer means having anoutput proportional to locomotive speed, a record paper system includinga drive motor connected with the output of said transducer means to movea record paper linearly in proportion to the distance travelled by thelocomotive, a recording device for producing a visual record upon therecord paper, said recording device being connected with the output ofsaid transducer means for recording the speed of the locomotive, saidrecord paper system comprising a take-up spindle, a supply spindle and adrive drum between said take-up and supply spindles, all mounted on acommon support, a take-up motor normally operating said take-up spindleto maintain paper issuing from said supply spindle against said drivedrum and taut between said take-up spindle and said drive drum, saiddrive motor being connected to said drive drum and connected to saidtransducer means for allowing the paper to advance linearly, under theaction of said take-up motor, in accord with the distance travelled bythe locomotive, a housing, said common support means being pivotallymounted within said housing, a door normally closing said housing andurging said common support to a predetermined position therein, andswitch means actuated by said door for deenergizing said take-up motorwhen the door is open.
 4. In the recording system according to claim 3including means for simultaneously interrupting drive between said drivemotor and said drive drum and energizing said take-up motor when saiddoor is open.
 5. In a recording system for locomotives, in combination,transducer means having an output proportional to locomotive speed, arecord paper system including a drive motor connected with the output ofsaid transducer means to move a record paper linearly in proportion tothe distance travelled by the locomotive, a recording device forproducing a visual record upon the record paper, said recording devicebeing connected with the output of said transducer means for recordingthe speed of the locomotive, said record paper system comprising atake-up spindle, a supply spindle and a drive drum between said take-upand supply spindles, all mounted on a common support, a take-up motornormally operating said take-up spindle to maintain paper issuing fromsaid supply spindle against said drive drum and taut between saidtake-up spindle and said drive drum, said drive motor being connected tosaid drive drum and connected to said transducer means for allowing thepaper to advance linearly, under the action of said take-up motor, inaccord with the distance travelled by the locomotive, said drive motorbeing connected to a tubular drive shaft, said drive drum beingrotatably mounted concentrically of said drive shaft, a clutch shaftslidably received in said drive shaft and having a tapered portiontherewithin, clutch elements carried by said drive shaft in the regionof said tapered portion of the clutch shaft, and spring means biasingsaid clutch shaft to force said clutch elements against said drive drum.6. In the recording system according to claim 5 including switch meansactuated by said clutch shaft in response to axial shifting thereof torelease said clutch elements for energizing said take-up motor.